A musical travel blog
We’d heard a lot of great things about Chiang Mai on our travels thus far. This mountainous hub of Northern Thailand is the country’s cultural capital, and also a popular place for expats and so-called digital nomads to settle down. So after all the chaos of Bangkok, not only were we looking forward to a [...]
Arriving in Bangkok from the Balinese jungle was like being airdropped into a sweaty, congested maze of concrete and motor exhaust. After our first attempt at being true backpackers and staying in a hostel, we relocated to the trendy expat neighborhood of Thonglor and started to truly appreciate the unique beauty and energy Bangkok has to offer.
The island of Bali is a magical place brimming with a unique culture that is at once traditional and modern. It is the perfect destination for a first time visitor to Asia (us!) due to its robust tourism infrastructure. Yet with its varied regions, vibrant local community, and strong Hindu belief system, the Balinese experience is anything but a cookie cutter island get-away.
One of the newer countries in the world, Montenegro had fascinated me since it gained independence from Serbia in 2006. Coincidentally, this is the same year Casino Royale (with it’s famous Montenegro casino scene) came out, likely contributing greatly to Montenegro tourism. So before we set off for Asia, we decided to hop on a [...]
After experiencing the spectacular beauty of Slovenia, Croatia was the 2nd stop on our family road trip through the Balkans. The last time I was in Croatia was 8 years ago. I remember it quite fondly, and naturally, I had high hopes for this visit as well. While this time around, the trip was quite different (most likely due to no longer having the energy of a 23 year old) it was still a relaxing 9 days filled with beach time, a lot of family dinners, and plenty of relaxation...
Slovenia is a small country in Eastern Europe that has likely gained more awareness as the hometown of our FLOTUS, Melania Trump. Not a fan? Don’t let that fact turn you off. Slovenia is incredibly underrated and hasn’t been discovered by most people, which is why this hidden gem should really be a stop on anyone’s European vacation. Here are the 5 reasons I fell in love with Slovenia.
If Italy was all about la dolce vita, then our time in France can similarly be described as full of joie de vivre: the French expression referring to the cheerful enjoyment of life through whatever means one prefers. Henri Matisse, one of a generation of artists who made the Côte d’Azur their home, once said “When I realized that each morning I would see this light again, I could not believe my luck.” And so we followed his lead….making this gorgeous strip of land our home for two weeks.
Pictured above: hiking into the village of Vernazza. Leaving Tuscany, we needed one more taste of the Italian coast before bidding it a final farewell. Cinque Terre was a mystical place I’d read about, but had never had a chance to visit. While I understood there were five villages (in the abstract) I knew nothing [...]
Tuscany seemed like a great way to escape the Amalfi tourists, see a new landscape, and of course continue our wine and pasta tour. G spent time in Tuscany while studying abroad in Siena, so he reluctantly agreed to play tour guide yet again. We decided on Montepulciano, a medieval hillside town at with its own “Vino Nobile” region within Tuscany (more on that later).
If there was ever a place to begin mastering the art of nonchalance, the Amalfi Coast would be it. We arrived in Naples via a 6AM flight from Prague, immediately hopping on the tourist bus to Sorrento. Out the window, the azure colored waves crashing into the rocky cliffs jutting out of the ocean, cypress trees [...]
